John Westwood
Overview John Westwood was a Dranian politician of the right-wing Grand National Party who was formerly Minister of Trade and Industry, Minister of Health and Social Services and also President of Dranland. Life and Politics Westwood studied biology and chemistry at the First Private Dranian University from 3333 to 3340, earning a PhD. During this time, he also got to know his later wife Marina LeCoultre, who would later go on to become Prime Minister of Dranland. He entered politics himself when he became Minister of Health and Social Services in his wife's cabinet in 3365. In the years before, he had worked in the area of medical research for several pharma companies. As Minister, he launched a controversial reform that generated harsh criticism from the leftist opposition parties (Unity and PAC and which failed to pass the assembly. Among his proposals were cuts on health care expenses, lowering subsidies for pharmaceutical drugs and abolishing governmental benefits for contraceptives. While being Minister, he also made an unsuccessful bid for GNP Chairman after his wife's retreat from that position, but lost to education spokesman Tony Bradbury despite having led in polls before. In April 3376, he resigned as Minister alongside the other GNP members of the cabinet after the coalition had fallen apart. Two years later, he became Minister of Trade and Industry in the GNP-PAC-PP coalition of Prime Minister John Morrison (PP). When the three-way coalition was succeeded by Constantine Miller's Unity-PAC coalition, Westwood switched to the opposition benches, only to return three years later as Minister of Trade and Industry in the cabinet of Delia Breckinridge. Amid the turmoil surrounding the CNP, Secretary-General Shigeru Asano announced that Westwood was the GNP's presidential candidate. This was seen as a further sign of the increasing dominance of the liberal wing in the GNP, especially after nearly the whole of the traditionalist faction had defected to the CNP after refusing to oppose a controversial bill which would ban abortion and gay marriage as they were ordered to by parliamentary leader Sabrina McMahon. He would go on to defeat former Valdor Gov. Daniel Leite in the runoff with endorsements from both the CNP and the PP. During the HMS Chulbark incident which put Dranland at the brink of a war against Valruzia, Westwood was the leading voice of the Dranish government against the accusations of his Valruzian counterpart, often issuing harsh criticism against Valruzia, but simultaneously emphasizing that Dranland was not inerested in war, even offering to hand back the wreck of the Chulbark after it had been investigated by the independent Pelegrine Commission. Despite the active campaigning in his support on the part of his wife, former Prime Minister Marina LeCoultre, Westwood was eliminated in the first round of the presidential race following the surprise landslide victory of the fascist VBSM, resulting in a run-off between Daniel Leite (PAC) and the VBSM's Alvaro Chavira. In a brief statement, Westwood endorsed Leite in the second round, stating that "our freedoms are at stake, our liberties are on the brink of erosion, our country is at the risk of falling down the abyss of fascism - I urge my fellow libertarians to endorse Mr Leite, and even though I don't share his views, he is a democrat, and an honorable one, in contrast to the wannabe-dictator Chavira". Westwood resigned from politics after his defeat in the presidential election and moved back to his residence in Santa Sharika, where he lived with his wife until his death in 3402 at age 86. GNP Chairman Richard Branstead-Smith stated that "the GNP has lost one of its giants and a shining example of lifelong, unwavering commitment to the goals of liberty and individualism". James Tanaka, the Deputy Prime Minister, stated that "Westwood's impressive legacy will be marked by his bold leadership in the Valruzia crisis and his bipartisanship on the issue", while former PM Janice LeCoultre, the widow's sister, emphasized his personal qualities, calling him "simply a decent family man, a loving husband and a caring father to the people close to him". Category:Grand National Party (Dranland) politicians Category:Dranian people